Switch



Sept. 29, 1953 J. M. WALLACE ETAL SWITCH Filed April 30, 1947 INVENTORS James/[Wallace and Paul Sill i118.

BY I

A'ITORN WITNESSES: '/1 Q1 Patented Sept. 29, 1 953 PATENT omcr.

SVVITOH f'Jam'e's "M. Wallace, "E'ast McKeesport, and Paul jS-ilviu's, Pittsburgh, Pa., assigno'rs ,to 'Westing- -hou'se Electric Goifporation, *East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporationiof Pennsylvania Appliczttion AprilBO, 1947, SerialfNo. 745320 5 Claims. 1

This invention relates generally to electric switches, and more particularly to arrangements for operating oneor'a plurality of switches, which mayinclude a'switch locking arrangement.

.One object of 'thisinvention is to provide 'novel means for simultaneously operatinga plurality of electric switches.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel unitary assenibly of a 'pluralityof electric switches'whereinsuch assembly'includes common actuating mechanism for the switches.

Another object of this invention 'is to provide a novel unitary assembly of a @plurality of electric switches'including commonoperatingmeans having locking means for control of all of the switches.

v'Still'anotherobject of this invention is to .provide novel locking means for a rotatable switch operatingmember.

These and other objects of this invention will become Lmore'apparent'upon consideration of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof,whentaken inconnectionzwith the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is apartial longitudinal section view of a switch'construction embodying this invention, and

Fig. 2 is .a transverse sectionview ofjthe 'siwitch shown Fig. jl, taken 1 substantially on the line IIII of F g. 1;

The switch j'c'on's'truction illustrated on the drawing comprises a plurality of rotary contactcarrying shafts, each having sets of stationary contacts cooperable therewith for jcon'trolling'a predeterminednumber of electric circuits in response to rotation of the respective shaft, with mechanism connecting -these shafts for simultaneous movement. As the description of the device illustrated proceeds, it will becomeappa'rcut that any desired number of rotary contact shafts may be employed, this beinga mattero'f choice dependent 'upon the number of electric circuits. to be controlled. 7

iln'vFigs. 1 and 2 'of "the drawings, "there-is illustrated an assembly of two rotary; switches -which may'be of the type disclosed 11Sandin'"P'atent 1,744,245, issued January 21, 1930, and "assigned to the same assignee as this invention. End plates 52 are maintaihedin spaced relation by contact supporting'pla'tesfi which are of an insulating material "and are secured to flanges on the end plates by'screws 25. A contact shaftfi is 'mounted-inbearings 8 and geared to a contact shaft '5'4 -thro'ughgears 34. Contact shaft extends-thr0ughan endplate 52 and through a rectangular supporting frame comprising a U- shaped metal-supporting member 56 secured at its base 'to'end plate '52 and having its open side closed by'aplate 58 welded'or otherwise secured thereto. The rectangular supporting frame is provided for supporting mechanism for locking the switches at one'or more predetermined positions, in a manner to be described. Plate 58 of the supporting frame is provided with a substantially central opening for receiving the reduced outer end of-a'bearing sleeve 60 for contact shaft 54. The enlarged'innerportion of bearing sleeve 60 is adapted to-support-one'end of a sleeve 62 which extends through the rectangular frame and has its other end located in openings provid'ed through the base of frame member 56 through end plate 52. A solenoid coil 64 is adapted to be supported on'sleeve '62, with the coil'having terminals 65 for connection'to a'control circuit. :Solenoid c'oil M is provided with suitablein'sulation 6 ii.

A locking sleeve :68 is adapted to be "slidably mounted on c'on-tact-shaf t 5 1 within sleeve 62 but is: held against rotation on theshaft by a pair of pins '12 secured in the shaft and extending into a longitudinal slot 510 in 'lockingsle'e've 68. "The inner1end of'slot :10 is :adaptedto cooperatevwith a locking-projection 1B formedson a bracket 1'4 securedto'the inner side of end plat'ei52, as by screws 16. .A coil-compression spring Bil is; adapted t0 l0e mounted in .a recess provided in'the outer end. of locking sleeve EB and reacts between the sleevaand a washer...8}2 bearingagainst sleeve .60, to normally bias the locking sleeve inwardlyso that looking projection 38 .will be received in slot HYw'hen contact'shaft'ij l is. at'the-position shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

It is believed apparent that with the parts positionedas'sjhown'in Figs. land 2 of the drawings, contact shafts '6 and 54 are'both locked at the positions they "occupy in these "figures by the reception of locking projection -78 in slot 10 of the locking sleeve, the sleeve being maintained at this position spring 85. Looking sleevej68 is of a magnetic material so asto be attracted outwardly in a direction to compress "spring sc upon energizationof solenoid-coilfi l, so that locking projection 18 is no longer received in slot H! of the locking sleeve, and the contact shafts are then released for movement by operation of handle 42. Locking sleeve 68 may be provided with notches t! in the inner end thereof positioned to receive locking projection 78 at other angular positions of the contact shafts, so that the shafts may be locked at such other positions and can be moved from such positions only upon energization of solenoid coil 64 to Withdraw locking sleeve 58 and release the shaft for movement. It is believed apparent that the particular locking arrangement for a rotary contact shaft illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 may be used where that shaft drives any desired number of other contact shafts, or where that shaft is the sole shaft of the switch construction. This particular locking arrangement is extremely compact in form and relatively simple to manufacture and assemble, yet is extremely positive and flexible in operation. The

solenoid is easily accessible for wiring and maintenance, and it is apparent that the cross-section of the locking arrangement is limited to be substantially the same as the cross-section occupied by a single switch. Instead of the specific arrangement illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 wherein spring normally urges locking sleeve 68 to a locking position, this invention also contemplates a reversal of this arrangement wherein spring 89 is arranged to normally urge locking sleeve 58 to 2. released position, and solenoid coil 55 upon energization moves the locking sleeve to a locking position.

The embodiment of the invention described and illustrated herein relates to a novel unitary assembly of a plurality of switch units, wherein each unit is adapted to control a plurality of electric circuits. Moreover, this novel assembly includes as part of the unit an operating mechanism for effecting simultaneous operation of the several switch units, and may furtherinclude novel locking mechanism, with the latter being also adapted for the control of a single switch unit. The design disclosed has few parts and is relatively simple and economical to manufacture and assemble; this latter advantage is important when it is considered that this type of switch is generally mounted on switchboards and control panels with a great deal of other control and related equipment, and where the space factor is, consequently, of exceeding importance.

Having described a preferred embodiment of this invention in accordance with the patent statutes, it is desired that the invention be not limited to the particular construction disclosed, inasmuch as it will be apparent, particularly to persons skilled in the art, that many changes and modifications in the particular structure may be made, some of which have been pointed out above, without departing from the broad spirit and scope of this invention. Accordingly, it is desired that the invention be interpreted as broadly as possible and that it be limited only as required by the prior art.

We claim as our invention:

1. Locking means for a rotatable shaft journaled in a supporting frame having spaced end plates, said shaft extending through said plates, said means comprising a fixed locking part on said frame, an integral solenoid core and locking sleeve slidably mounted on said shaft for movement into and out of engagement with said look-- ing part, a longitudinal slot in said sleeve, pro-' 4 said sleeve being biased for sliding movement in one direction, and a solenoid coil disposed between said end plates and surrounding said sleeve for moving the sleeve in the opposite direction against said bias.

2. Locking means for a rotatable shaft journaled in a supporting frame having spaced end plates, said shaft extending through said plates, said means comprising a fixed locking part on said frame, an integral solenoid core and locking sleeve slidably mounted on said shaft for movement into and out of engagement with said locking part, a longitudinal slot in said sleeve, projecting means on the shaft disposed in said slot to prevent rotation of the sleeve on the shaft, resilient means disposed on the shaft for biasing said sleeve in one direction, and a solenoid coil disposed between said end plates and surrounding said sleeve for moving the sleeve in the opposite direction.

3. Locking means for a rotatable shaft journaled in a supporting frame having spaced end plates, said shaft extending through said plates, said means comprising a fixed locking part on said frame, an integral solenoid core and locking sleeve slidably mounted on said shaft for movement into and out of engagement with said looking part, a longitudinal slot in said sleeve, projecting means on the shaft disposed in said slot to prevent rotation of the sleeve on the shaft, resilient means biasing said sleeve in a direction to engage said locking part to hold said shaft at a predetermined position, and a solenoid coil disposed between said end plates and surrounding said sleeve for moving the sleeve in the opposite direction to release said shaft for movement.

i. Locking means for a rotatable shaft journaled in a supporting frame having spaced end plates, said shaft extendingthrough said plates, said means comprising a fixed-locking part on one of said end plates, a tubular solenoid core which constitutes a locking sleeve slidably mounted on said shaft for movement into and out of engagement with said locking part, a longitudinal slot in said sleeve, a projection on the shaft disposed in said slot to prevent rotation of the sleeve on the shaft, a recess in one end of the sleeve, spring means disposed in said recess to bias said sleeve in one direction, and a solenoid coil mounted in said frame between said end plates for moving said sleeve in the opposite direction against the biasing spring means.

5. Locking means for a rotatable shaft journaled in a supporting frame having spaced end plates, said shaft extending through said plates, said means comprising a fixed-locking part on one of said end plates, a tubular solenoid core which constitutes a locking sleeve slidably mounted on said shaft for movement into and out of engagement with said locking part, a longitudinal slot in said sleeve, projecting means on the shaft disposed in said slot to prevent rotation of the sleeve on the shaft, a recess in one end of the sleeve, resilient means disposed in said recess to bias said sleeve in a direction to engage said locking part to hold said shaft at a predetermined position, and a solenoid coil mounted in said frame between said end plates for moving said sleeve in the opposite direction to release said shaft for rotative movement when the coil is energized.

JAMES M. WALLACE. PAUL SILVIUS (References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Gibbs Jan. 31, 1893 Suren Feb. 26, 1901 Schmitt June 5, 1906 Du Bois Nov. 13, 1906 Manson Dec. 17, 1912 Tuttle Sept. 18, 1928 Lyon Nov. 5, 1929 Alsaker Sept. 2, 1930 Lieske Sept. 18, 1932 Smith Nov. 15, 1932 Number 6 Name Date De Reamer Apr. 25, 1933 Newman Oct. 24, 1933 Massonneau Apr. 4, 1939 Ehlers Dec. 10, 1940 Plensler July 8, 1941 Schumaker Sept. 9, 1947 Hammer May 3, 1949 Horman 1 July 12, 1949 Batcheller Nov. 21, 1950 Frese Dec. 12, 1950 Goik May 29, 1951 

